By Conference Staff
June 29, 2009

U.S. Conference of Mayors CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran delivered the keynote address at the Third Annual Meeting of the Minds Conference in New York on June 2.

Meeting of the Minds, developed by the Urban Age Institute, is an invitation-only leadership summit that annually brings together about 150 representatives of city government, the corporate sector, universities, think tanks, international organizations to share ideas about the most promising innovations and trends that contribute to sustainable communities and nations.

In his speech, "U.S.A. Mayors and Metro Economies: Linking Energy and Climate-Centered Changes in Metro Economies for a Stronger Metro Nation," Cochran discussed the importance of local government in the U.S. federal system.

"The U.S. Constitution established a federal system that recognizes only two levels of government — the national government and the states," he said.

"Our nation will be disadvantaged, however, if our nation fails to recognize and adapt to the emergence and central importance of metropolitan economies, here in the U.S. and throughout the world."

Since the mid-1990's, the Conference of Mayors has commissioned research to quantify the importance of metropolitan areas to the U.S. economy. The more than 30 metro economies reports that have been produced provide:

1. Comprehensive and useful data to officials and people of metro areas;

2. Prompt dialogue and consensus among local officials in their regions;

3. Give metro areas more political clout nationally and internationally; and

4. Educate the national and state governments, the media, and the public about the importance of metro economies.

Cochran pointed out that the body of work shows that U.S. metropolitan areas are the engines of the U.S. economy, accounting for 86 percent of employment, 90 percent of labor income, and 90 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.

"And, most importantly, the future of our economy will be determined by the competitiveness of our metro areas. We project that over 90 percent of the future growth of our nation will come from metropolitan areas," he said.

Of the world's largest 100 economies, 42 are U.S. metro areas.

Cochran pointed out also that, compared to states, the dominance of metro areas' economic impact is even more striking — for example, the economic output of the New York City metro area is larger than that of Texas.

• Legally, we are a nation of states, but our economy functions as a conglomeration of metro areas, and

• Our federal policies do not yet acknowledge this new reality.

• And, it reminds us that if we DO NOT adapt our institutions, delivery systems, and our investment practices to meet the needs of our metro economies, we do so at our own peril, and we will diminish our future prosperity, at home and in the world.

Cochran cited the strong role of mayors in innovations at the local level and their strong leadership in advocacy of the urban agenda.

He emphasized the leadership of Conference President Mayor Manny Diaz, who at the beginning of his Presidency of the Conference of Mayors convened of five forums on urban safety, climate protection, poverty, infrastructure, the arts and tourism during the Republic and Democratic 2008 campaigns influencing the policy positions of both parties.

"Notably, the President's commitment to high'speed, intercity rail infrastructure is one example. Embracing a generational vision for high'speech passenger rail was the dominant theme of our New York City Forum on Infrastructure in August 2008, and even long before that," Cochran said.

Climate Protection: Seattle Mayor Nickels

Cochran said, "On February 16th, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol took effect in the 141 countries that ratified it. The United States, we know, did not ratify it.

"On that day, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels challenged mayors across the United States to join Seattle in signing a pledge committing them to local action to reduce global warming.

"Today, 954 mayors representing 84 million people have signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement

"Sometime this year, 1000 cities will be on board with their commitment to climate protection.

"The work of the mayors on climate protection underlines the points I was making earlier.

"As higher levels of government increasingly pushed aside their responsibility to solve domestic problems, mayors stepped forward and exerted leadership on global challenges.

Cochran pointed out the many innovative programs of other mayors, such as

• Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper: "FasTracks," one of the most ambitious initiatives in U.S. history, combining smart growth, housing choices and expanded transportation options;

• San Francisco Gavin Newsom: "Healthy San Francisco," which makes health care services accessible and affordable for uninsured residents;

• Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert: Greencorps Dallas, an innovative system that offers on-the-job training and sustainable employment opportunities in energy audits/assessments, weatherization, and energy efficiency enhancements to low-income housing stock for about 250 dislocated people.

• New Haven (CT) Mayor John DeStefano: a municipal identification card that enables immigrants, many of them illegal, to open bank accounts, access needed public services, and exercise civil liberties — basically to participate in the life of their city.

• St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay: with the city's Project Re-Connect, which has helped 411 ex-offenders with housing, employment, and substance abuse treatment, and over 21 months has had only eight percent recidivism.

"And countless other examples of strong mayoral leadership demonstrate the role that mayors play in developing innovative urban policies and programs," he emphasized.

Cochran emphasized that in terms of a National Metro/Urban Agenda, the Conference of Mayors includes the following areas:

FIRST, we must have National Transportation Reform.

As a nation, we know that we must develop a new transportation investment framework, one that helps ensure future independence from foreign oil and combats global climate change.

Such a system should establish — as the nation's top transportation priority — the rapid development and expansion of metropolitan public transportation systems in the nation's major metro areas:

1. Linking metro systems together by an ultra-modern federal high'speed rail network,

2. Connecting these metro areas within through modern rail and other transit systems; and

3. Providing for the more efficient movement of goods through significant improvements to our national freight rail system.

This three-pronged strategy for the twenty-first century system will overtake in scope and magnitude our commitments to the nation's Interstate and National Highway Systems. What we have now will remain intact, but will focus on maintenance, not on expansion.

Reform also means making sure that any transportation investments supported by federal transportation dollars are decided by local officials in those areas. And, we welcome the state to sit with us at that table to participate in the competition of ideas on how we improve metropolitan mobility.

SECOND, we must create a new and dynamic partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy and the nation's cities.

It is imperative that we fully implement metro area Climate Protection and Energy Efficiency Strategies, by expanded funding of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program at DOE.

Through the EECBG, cities and urban counties have developed comprehensive strategies to implement community-based programs that limit carbon emissions, promote renewable energy, and launch energy efficiency programs at the metro level.

Aggressive implementation of these strategies will complement "top down" initiatives, such as a cap and trade system, which, when taken together, provide the framework for addressing climate protection nationally.

Cities are the laboratories for implementing DOE and other federal agency technologies, as well as promoting community-based conservation programs, still the most cost-efficient way of reducing carbon emissions.

All this requires a new partnership between DOE and mayors, with support from the states as well.

Toronto's Mayor Miller, who head the C-40 Cities, last week made the point that "battle on climate change will be won or lost in cities."

THIRD, Cap and Trade System

Enact a Cap and Trade System that ensures real and verifiable carbon reductions, with funds from allowance auction proceeds used to support renewable energy projects,

Implement local climate protection strategies through energy efficiency block grants, public transit development, research and development of non-greenhouse gas emitting technologies, and the de-commissioning of coal-fired generation units.

FOURTH, we must Green the Federal Tax Code by eliminating subsidies and preferences to carbon emitting economic activity and providing benefits to non-carbon alternatives.

The tax code is a labyrinth of detail, but this is certain — it rewards certain industrial sectors well for activities we can no longer afford.

Such preferences should be shifted to structures, industrial processes, research and development, and implementation that reward sustainable development.

The sooner we start this transition, the better.

For example, in addition to strengthening tax benefits for alternative energy technology, we should

1. ENACT a Green Affordable Housing Tax Credit

2. ENACT Green Zone Investment Tax Credits and

3. REPEAL Federal Tax Subsidies to Carbon-emitting technologies and fuels, SHIFTING benefits to consumers who ride transit, live in carbon free homes, apartments and condos, and rewarding carbon free innovation.

FIFTH, Revamp job training and workforce development policies to accelerate our shift a green economy and to confront the demands of an increasingly metropolitan-based economy. Our practices must reflect the reality that our future economy will be even more metro-oriented. And, we also know that the shift to sustainability and greener practices will be the organizing economic principle of this century. Our workforce and our delivery systems must be adapted, and must be ready.

SIXTH, we need to get serious about Farmland Preservation by developing incentives to preserve America's farmland, particularly in areas surrounding major metro areas, including, but not limited to, an exemption from inheritance taxes for farmland placed in "farmland preservation trusts" and incentivize those seeking to keep farmland in production within and nearby our metropolitan areas.

In conclusion, I hope that I have been able to illuminate some exciting trends in urban America and to indicate how The U.S. Conference of Mayors is working to make sure that urban areas are recognized and supported for their contributions to this nation.

With the ground-breaking data we are gathering on Metro economies, we believe that policy-makers are increasingly cognizant of the central importance of metropolitan areas.

We are committed to continuing to fight to for national policy that supports mayors and our urban areas.

Among those with whom Cochran met at the meeting was Mayor Jozias van Aartsen, Mayor of The Hague, Netherlands, and President of Eurocities, the organization of European cities that are 250,000 population and larger. Cochran and van Aartsen discussed the possible areas of cooperation between their two organizations.

Meeting of the Minds Conference was developed by Urban Age Institute, dedicated to research and exploration of ideas in many areas, including sustainability. Gordon Feller is the Chief Executive Officer